Three-Dimensional (3-D) audio is a technology in which sound is generated in a manner that creates the illusion that the source of the sound is somewhere in a 3-D space surrounding the hearer. For example, movies and video games may employ 3-D audio to create an “immersive” effect wherein the participant (e.g., user) is made to feel as if actually a part of the content being viewed by generating sound that appears to come from various directions (e.g., left, center right, back, etc.). In stationary systems this effect may be simulated through the placement of speakers in the various directions. Sound from content such as, for example, a movie, a video game, etc. may then be directed to a speaker corresponding to the direction from which the sound is meant to be heard. Since the system is fixed, the sound always appears to be coming from the correct direction (e.g., the direction intended by the creator of the content) regardless of where the user is positioned. More recently, portable systems (e.g., mobile communication and/or computing devices) have evolved to have the capability of generating 3-D audio. A user may view content on a portable system and listen to audio associated with the content on headphones configured to generate directional sound in accordance with the content. However, at least one limitation that exists in portable 3-D audio is that the sound field is relative to the headphones. As opposed to a stationary system where the sound generation is relative to a fixed coordinate system, and so the user is free to move about the physical space without changing the intended sense of immersion, in portable devices the coordinate system is relative to the headphones of the user, and thus, the head of the user. When the head of the user moves the sound field moves as well. As a result, the direction from which a sound emanates no longer matches the direction intended by the creation of the content, destroying the intended sense of immersion to be created by the content.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.